BESSEMER, Alabama -- It was the
11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the long, bloody
conflict of World War I came to an end after taking the lives of millions of young men on both sides.

Hostilities
ceased after the defeated Germans and victorious allies, including the United
States, signed a cease fire-- the Armistice.

To commemorate
the end of the war, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Armistice Day for
November 11, 1919, and ever since, the day has been marked with solemn word and
song and ceremony.

Congress
made Armistice Day a legal holiday in 1938, and called it "a day to be
dedicated to the cause of world peace." Unfortunately, barely a
year after Congress created Armistice Day, World War II began, creating a whole new crop of brave soldiers and veterans.

One of
those veterans, Raymond Weeks from Birmingham, recognized that a day was needed
to honor not just the veterans of World War I, but the veterans of World War II
and other conflicts.

With the
help of General Dwight Eisenhower, Week's vision was realized
in 1954, when Armistice Day became Veteran's Day.

Thanks to
Weeks, Birmingham would become the site of the first and largest Veteran's Day
commemoration in the country, an annual event that will be held again Monday,
November 12.

But Birmingham's
ceremonies are not the only ones in the metro area to honor those who have served
America. The City of Bessemer will hold its annual Veterans Day program at the
Bessemer City Hall Auditorium, Friday, November 9, at 11 a.m.

The
keynote speaker will be Commander Jim Dickinson of the Bessemer Naval Reserve
Center. The program will also include the posting of the colors by the U.S.
Marine Corps Reserve and a program of patriotic songs performed by the Bessemer
City High School.

Among the
public officials and others scheduled to offer brief remarks will be Jefferson
County Commissioner George Bowman, a retired U.S. Army general, and Ron
Haygood, state commander of the Alabama American Legion.

Bessemer's
Veteran's Day commemoration has been held for at least 15 years, according to Ronnie
Acker, president of the Bessemer Chamber of Commerce, one of the organizers. Acker
said that Bessemer's event is always held on the Friday prior to the Veterans
Day holiday on Monday so as not to conflict with the events in Birmingham.

All
military branches and first responders will be recognized during the program. "We've tried to honor our men and women in
uniform," Acker said. "That's our soldiers. But since 9/11, we've tried to
highlight our first responders. They put their lives on the line, too--maybe not
the same way, but sometimes."

Veterans
Day is special for Acker, at least in part because he comes from a family with
a tradition of military service. "I look forward to Veterans Day," he said. "My
father was a vet. He was one of Merrill's Marauders. He's in the [U.S. Army] Ranger
Hall of Fame at Ft. Benning. I did active duty. I was in Korea, and my brother
was in Vietnam. "Acker served for 22 years and retired from the U.S. Army as a
lieutenant colonel.

Acker
hopes that the ceremony Friday can help make up for the way in which veterans'
contributions are sometimes ignored. "A lot of people take service members for
granted." he said. "We have many, many veterans in the area. We hope they'll
come. It's only an hour, hour and 15 minute program. But it's a chance for them
to be recognized, for us to tell them how much we appreciate their service and
sacrifices."

The
program is sponsored by the Chamber, the City of Bessemer and Bessemer Cut-Off American Legion Post 149. The City Hall Auditorium is located at 1800 Third
Ave. North. For more information, call the Chamber at (205) 425-3253.